Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 412 You are not actually the daughter of Queen Chengxiao

"If your second brother had survived back then, your mother wouldn't have left so hastily."

Zhu Gaoxu said with tears in his eyes.

After the crown prince Zhu Zhanyu died of illness in early February of the 20th year of Qianxi, Queen Li Yao became taciturn, did not think about food and food, and was often in a trance. She claimed to have seen Zhu Zhanyu, and finally died in depression in October of the same year. Zhu Gaoxu gave her the posthumous title She was named Queen Chengxiao and was known as Queen Chengxiaowu in history.

"Dad, there is still something unclear about my son."

After Zhu Zhantang hesitated for a moment, he couldn't help but said: "I beg you, dad, to help me clarify my doubts so that I can teach you better."

"Teaching people by preaching" won't work even if you just talk it out, but "teaching people by doing things" once will do.

For Zhu Zhantang, there is no doubt that he can become a prince.

When he was appointed as the crown prince, it was too smooth, at least on the surface.

But he knew in his heart that this matter would never be that simple.

After all, Zhu Gaoxu lost two grandchildren, one son and one wife in the 20th year of Qianxi's reign, and the mental blow he suffered was not small.

After Zhu Zhanyu died at that time, his three biological brothers who had already grown up, including Zhu Zhantang, who was still the King of the United States at the time, were all in the capital.

At that time, Zhu Gaoxu had no interest in government affairs and entrusted all matters to the cabinet. However, the court did not stage the drama of the three sons seizing the legitimate heir, which shows that there must be a reason for this.

"You want to ask me, if the appointment of you as the crown prince went so smoothly back then, is there any hidden secret?"

Zhu Gaoxu had already penetrated Zhu Zhantang's thoughts, looked into his eyes and asked.

Zhu Zhantang was silent and just nodded respectfully.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu patted the back of Zhu Zhantang's hand that was supporting his left arm, and sighed: "Son, if you and I hadn't been both physically and psychologically strong, I would have been in trouble long ago. The situation at that time, Don’t allow me to hesitate at all, otherwise things will change!”

He paused, raised his head and looked at the statue (portrait) of Prince Xiangwu Zhu Zhanyu, and recalled: "Actually, it was my intention and your second brother's intention to make you the crown prince later."

Zhu Zhantang has been in a high position for many years and has a profound knowledge of qi cultivation. He has long been able to express his emotions and anger, but even so, after hearing Zhu Gaoxu's words, he opened his mouth in shock and did not return to normal until he took a few breaths. .

"Your second brother once asked me to promise him that if he unfortunately dies young, then I must choose you as the heir to the throne, otherwise he will die in peace."

Zhu Gaoxu thought of the sad past, tears quietly slipped from the corners of his eyes, and he said slowly.

"Your second brother has long realized that Qi Qin is not a kind person, and Qi Zheng has a weak character. As for Qi Xi, although he is well-behaved, he is still young after all."

"Your sixth brother (Yue Wang Zhu Zhancheng) is obsessed with literature, obsessed with calligraphy and painting, and has no interest in state affairs, but he is self-denial and resolute in etiquette. He strictly adheres to the law of monogamy and never takes concubines. He only has two sons and two daughters under his knees. It has been many years since the founding of the vassal state. There is only one prefecture and two counties under the rule. Therefore, your sixth brother is neither a conservative king nor a pioneer, he is just a middle-aged man."

"Although your thirteenth brother (Xia Wang Zhu Zhankan) is broad-minded and only capable, he is headstrong and self-willed. He loves great achievements and is not the image of a wise king."

"In the words of your second brother, your sixth brother is a bit like Song Huizong, and your thirteenth brother is similar to Yang Guang."

Zhu Gaoxu paused, withdrew his gaze from the statue of Prince Xiangwu Zhu Zhanyu, turned to look at Zhu Zhantang and said: "You are different. It only took you six or seven years to build the Kingdom of America into a beautiful kingdom." The most powerful vassal in Wozhou with a population of over [-]."

"How far the Ming Dynasty can go in the future depends on how long its two legs can last. One leg is the mainland of China, and the other leg is the overseas vassals. If the mainland does not want to be replaced by a strong vassal in the future, it must Strive to develop and strengthen the country and enrich the people, but the overseas vassals will not be willing to be controlled by the mainland."

"Ruling a big country is like cooking small dishes. If you can manage the beautiful kingdom well, you will naturally be able to manage the brilliant Ming Dynasty well. You have the image of a pioneering and conservative king, and your future achievements may not be inferior to mine."

"Dad, why did Sixth Brother voluntarily give up his right to inherit the throne?"

After hearing this, Zhu Zhantang still had many doubts in his heart. Seeing that Zhu Gaoxu was still interested in talking, he tentatively asked a question.

According to the "Ancestor Instructions of the Emperor Ming Dynasty": "Those who are qualified to inherit the throne, but voluntarily give up the right to inherit, or are demoted to common people for breaking the law, or those who are born with diseases, do not enjoy the right to inherit the throne."

Although King Zhu Zhancheng of Yue was the sixth son of Zhu Gaoxu in chronological order, he was also the legitimate second son and belonged to the " legitimate son" in the first line of succession to the throne.If after the death of the crown prince Zhu Zhanyu, Zhu Gaoxu never appoints a crown prince, then after Zhu Gaoxu dies in the future, according to the "Ancestor Instructions of the Emperor Ming", "Whenever the great emperor dies and there is no heir in the dynasty, he must establish a legitimate son and a legitimate grandson." And the oldest person is the crown prince or the emperor's grandson". As the king of Yue Zhu Zhancheng is the second son of Emperor Qianxi, the courtiers should follow the "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions" and support Zhu Zhancheng as the new emperor. .

However, once the Yue King Zhu Zhancheng openly announced in the court that he had given up his right to inherit the throne, Zhu Gaoxu's third son, the beautiful King Zhu Zhantang, would succeed in order in the future.

"Your sixth brother is here to make way for you!"

Zhu Gaoxu explained: "The crown prince was undecided at that time. I asked you to live in Zongwangfang and did not allow any courtiers to visit you, just to prevent your sixth brother from being deceived."

"Later, after some persuasion from me, he gave up his desire for the throne. Although he was a little unwilling, he was not interested in the throne, and he knew it himself."

When Zhu Zhantang heard this, he was surprised and thought to himself: "It turns out that it was my father who persuaded Sixth Brother to give up the throne."

In order to allow Zhu Zhantang to succeed the crown prince, Zhu Gaoxu took great pains and set up one game after another.

When he ordered the three cousins ​​​​Zhu Zhan to temporarily live in Zongwangfang and not to enter the court without an imperial edict, they went on patrol incognito. They entered the Prince of Yue's Mansion with a group of farmers dressed in disguise such as Yuan Bin, Fan Zhong and other guards disguised as delivering vegetables and water. .

The reason why Zhu Gaoxu wanted to conceal his whereabouts was that he did not want his meeting with the King of Yue alone to misunderstand the civil and military officials of the court.

After all, if the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty had known that Zhu Gaoxu had met the King of Yue privately, it would be difficult not to think that the emperor wanted to make the King of Yue the crown prince.

The day after he persuaded Yue King Zhu Zhancheng, Zhu Gaoxu issued an edict to allow King Mei, King Yue and King Xia to enter the court.

On this day in court, King Zhu Zhancheng of Yue publicly announced his renunciation of the right to inherit the throne. The reason he gave was that he was determined to pursue literature, calligraphy and painting, but under his rule for more than ten years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the people were still poor and embarrassed.

When the ministers were shocked, Zhu Gaoxu actually agreed to Zhu Zhancheng's request, perfectly avoiding the reputation of "abolish the elder and establish the young".

Not only that, Zhu Gaoxu also issued two orders immediately.

One is to let the Ministry of Personnel select capable ministers and officials to assist the King of Yue in governing the feudal country and help the people of Yue get rid of poverty. The other is to let the Ministry of Rites send officials to copy each of the books in the Dabentang and send them to the Kingdom of Yue.

At that time, most of the courtiers believed that these two edicts were compensation from Emperor Qianxi Zhu Gaoxu to King Zhu Zhancheng of Yue.

Only a few people speculated that this might be a transaction between Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Zhancheng through Zhu Gaoxu's subsequent actions.

Because later Zhu Gaoxu said that since the King of Yue had no intention of taking the throne, according to the relevant provisions of the ancestral precepts, King Zhu Zhantang of the United States would succeed to the throne in the future. In order to ensure that King Mei’s future succession was foolproof, he decided to make King Mei the prince now, so that in the future, King Mei would be crown prince. The king's succession to the throne was even more justified.

On the second day of April in the 21st year of Emperor Qianxi's reign, King Zhu Zhantang of the United States was granted the title of Crown Prince.

On the eighth day of the lunar month, Zhu Qixi, the son of Zhu Zhanyu, the crown prince of Xiangwu, was conferred the title of Prince of Yong County with the ceremony of canonizing a prince, and he had the same status as the prince in the palace of Zongwangfang.

On the [-]th, Zhu Gaoxu issued an edict to move Jingjiang County Prince Zhu Zuojing and Wu Commandery Prince Zhu Yunxuan (Kuiji County Prince Zhu Yunxi died early without any children) to the east coast of Australia to establish a county-kingdom in the same province and at the same level as the Ming Dynasty.

Shortly after Zhu Gaoxu conferred the title of Prince of Yong County on Zhu Qixi, he ordered Zhu Zuojing and Zhu Yunxu to be moved to the east coast of Australia to establish a princely state in the same province.

The significance of his move is obvious. Jingjiang County Prince Zhu Zuojing is a descendant of the eldest brother of Emperor Taizu Gao, and Wu County Prince Zhu Yunxuan is a descendant of the eldest brother of Emperor Taizong Wen. The two are now going to sea to establish the Daming County Kingdom, with the same specifications as princes , it will be logical for the imperial court to seal Zhu Qixi, the king of Yong County, overseas in the future.

When the time comes, Zhu Gaoxu will allocate all the die-hard loyalists of Zhu Zhanyu, the former Prince of Xiangwu, to Zhu Qixi as civil servants and generals, so that the threat to Zhu Zhantang from these people will be minimal.

The emperor and his courtiers are the lessons of blood.

It was impossible for Zhu Gaoxu not to make arrangements in advance.

Including that in March of the 21st year of Qianxi, he posthumously named Quan Shuying, the late concubine Xiao Duanshu, as queen, which also eliminated potential threats to Zhu Zhantang.

"Tang'er, you are actually not the daughter of Queen Chengxiao (Li Yao). There is something hidden in this."

After Zhu Gaoxu was silent for a long time, he suddenly said something in a deep voice that sounded like a bolt from the blue to Zhu Zhantang.

(End of this chapter)